The Book of Daniel

Chapter 7

Daniel sees four beasts representing the kingdoms of men—He sees the ancient of days (Adam) to whom the Son of Man (Christ) will come—The kingdom will be given to the Saints forever.

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a adream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3 And four great abeasts came up from the bsea, diverse one from another.

4 The afirstwas like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

5 And behold another abeast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four aheads; and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth abeast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great biron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had cten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little ahorn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a bmouth speaking great things.

9 ¶I beheld till the athrones were bcast down, and the cAncient of days did sit, whose dgarmentwas white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his ewheelsas burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: athousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the bjudgment was set, and the cbooks were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the abeast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning bflame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the aSon of man came with the bclouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him adominion, and glory, and a bkingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an ceverlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 ¶I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four akings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the asaints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made awar with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the aAncient of days came, and bjudgment was given to the csaints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten ahorns out of this kingdom arebten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall awear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the ajudgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

27 And the akingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be bgiven to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an ceverlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my acogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.